


No Holds Barred

by Doylebaby



Category: Actor RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 14:27:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doylebaby/pseuds/Doylebaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is it always worth to follow orders?</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Holds Barred

**Author's Note:**

> Flashback is in _italics_.

[ ](http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b261/Doylebaby/?action=view&current=dfa082b2.jpg)

**No Holds Barred**  


“That’s him over there.”

A hand indicated to his right, the cigarette holder with burning cigarette lingered briefly, leaving the peculiar smell of the Egyptian brand she seemed to like so much, floating up his nostrils. 

He turned his head and crinkled his nose in distaste.

The car window rolled down a few inches, offering a view of the busy London streets, but also of the target. 

“Got a bit of a routine on him, so it should be fairly easy.”

The target jogged across the street carrying a Starbucks ‘to go’ cup. He waved at the security guards before disappearing into the large building.

Then the window on the other side rolled down and a finger with a long, blood red painted fingernail pointed at a rather derelict building on the opposite side of the street. “Sixth floor, perfect view. Tomorrow one o’clock, show me how dedicated you are to the cause.”

The man beside her nodded. “Weapon?” he asked shortly.

“Will be delivered later today. Make sure you are at the flat.”

The chauffeur was instructed to drive on and stopped in a quiet street to let him out. 

He unfolded his large body from the backseat and got out without a word.

Again the window rolled down and her hand motioned him closer. “Maim, not kill. It is supposed to be a warning. Do _not_ disappoint me.” 

He nodded again and walked toward the busy street, turning up his collar before burying his hands deep in his pockets.

The car was still in the same place. 

“Follow him.” The order was for the other man in the front seat; with a nod he slipped out of the car and was swallowed up by the crowd moments later.

~ * ~ 

The man paced up and down in the small flat, a frown creasing his brow. He checked his watch and then looked out of the window every few minutes before resuming his restless pacing.

His ‘shadow’ was down below, across the street, holding up the wall next to the news agency. 

When the doorbell rang the man's whole demeanour changed, no emotions showed on his face and he looked intimidating. He checked his watch again and then opened the door.

“You’re late,” he said coolly as he let his visitor in. 

The blond that walked in just shrugged. “Not my problem.” He pulled an envelope out of his pocket, the word _Instructions_ scribbled on the front, and handed it and a large bag over. “Check the contents,” he ordered.

The bag was emptied and each carefully wrapped piece was unwrapped, examined, and then carefully wrapped again. 

“Efficient,” was the only remark the occupant of the flat made. 

His visitor made his way to the door. “Efficiency pays off,” he said and with a nasty smile he added, “So does shattering a knee cap.” 

The dark-haired man, who had been putting everything back in the bag, appeared to freeze briefly, before continuing what he was doing. 

“It wasn’t a suggestion, Banadinovich” the blond said in a menacing voice.

Banadinovich looked up with raised eyebrows. “It sounded like one. Now if there’s nothing else, I’d make myself scarce if I were you.” And he stood with a threatening look on his face that made the blond swallow and head for the door.

“You’ll regret it if you ignore it,” the blond whined before quickly disappearing.

“I will anyway,” Banadinovich murmured to himself, as he opened the envelope to read the instructions.

&&&

“He’s had contact with no one, hasn’t been anywhere. Just had some food delivered from the Indian down the street.”

“And how do you know he didn’t hand a message to the delivery boy?” The question was asked sharply.

A chuckle. “Because I searched his person… thoroughly.” 

“Don’t be smart.” The woman motioned with her hand and the man removed himself from her sight. Then she turned to one of the other men present. “Did you deliver the van?” 

The man nodded. “Everything is ready, boss.”

The woman’s perfectly painted lips pressed together in a thin line. “We’ll see.”

&&&

Eric picked up the bag and looked around the flat, checking that nothing personal was left behind.

He closed and locked the flat behind him, shoving the keys through the letterbox. He wouldn’t return here. 

He put a cap on his head and pulled it low over his eyes, then he hurried down the stairs. Before he opened the door he checked for anything suspicious on the street. The van was parked where they had said it would be, his shadow was still across the street, but other than that everything looked normal. 

With a gloved hand he pulled a small key out of his jacket pocket and opened his personal letterbox, leaving the key in the lock. Inside was an envelope with the keys to the van. The envelope was scrunched up and put in his pocket, then he walked out the door towards the van.

He opened the side door and put his bag inside, then he closed and locked the door before taking another look around and get behind the wheel.

Eric started the van and noticed his shadow getting into a car that drove up behind him. Shrugging, he put the van into gear and sped off. Not too fast or too slow, doing nothing to attract attention. Keep to the rules. 

Arriving at the dilapidated building he parked the van at the back of the building, took out his bag and jogged up the stairs to the sixth floor.

The fourth flat from the stairs was unlocked, just as the instructions had mentioned and Eric went inside and started setting up his equipment.

Finished, he looked at his watch. It was three minutes to one.

&&&

“Hey George, how’s the wife today?” Orlando stopped at the security officer’s desk for a brief moment.

“Orlando! She’s fine, thanks, just wishing those last weeks would go a little faster. She can’t wait to give birth.”

Orlando grinned. “That’s the spirit. See you later!” With a wave he left the building. 

Outside he looked up at the sky and wondered whether there would be rain. Shrugging, because he couldn’t change the weather, he set out on his errands, looking forward to bring back a Caramel Macchiato, which was definitely his Thursday favourite.

 

When he finally joined the queue at Starbuck’s it was nearly one o’clock.

&&&

Eric waited.

His target was late today, but Eric was pretty sure he hadn’t missed him. He would recognize him anywhere, there was no way he would have passed by without Eric seeing him.

Checking his watch again – one o’clock exactly – he scanned the crowd and took his position. 

The rifle rested on a bipod, Eric rested his face against the stock and inspected the telescope. After making sure everything was ready, Eric lifted his head and checked the crowd again and then he noticed his target. 

A bright smile, the skip in his step, and the ‘cup to go’ in his hand, heading for the traffic light, heading for...

 

Eric breathed in and out and then took up his position once more. The telescope showed the target only inches away. Slowly, Eric moved from bouncy curls to pronounced cheek bones, to a vulnerable throat, a wide chest and lower still…

Then his target stopped moving, now was the time for a clean shot.

Another deep breath, he checked again and his finger moved calmly.

Eric imagined he could hear the terrifying scream of pain and was frozen to the spot, his eyes glued to the scene down below. 

There on the pavement, sprawled awkwardly, the cup of Caramel Macchiato spilled around him, lay his partner, in an ever-widening pool of blood.

&&&

Orlando looked up at the sky, it still looked like rain.

He wondered about the silence all around him, someone stood above him, looking down on him and talked to him.

At least he assumed the guy was talking to him, but he couldn’t hear any sound. Another face appeared, closer, as if the man knelt beside him. He too moved his lips, but Orlando couldn’t hear a thing.

He tried to let them know, but apparently not only his ears, but also his mouth refused to work properly. 

Then, out of nowhere, sound returned and with it pain, so much pain… 

Orlando started to shake violently.

“He’s going into shock!” 

The voices, the noise, it all became garbled until only the pain, excruciating pain remained, and then thankfully, darkness descended over Orlando.

&&&

Behind him the door to the flat opened, and Eric was forcibly dragged from the room, down the stairs and pushed into the back of a van and driven off.

He didn’t wonder where they were taking him, it didn’t matter much. 

Good guys or bad guys… They were as bad as each other.

 

_The Commissioner regarded him with a serious expression on his face._

_“You’re going undercover, Bana.”_

_“Why me, why not Bloom?”_

_“Bloom’s hardly the type we’re looking for, Bana. If we needed a lap dancer, we’d go for Bloom.”_

_His partner snorted, while Eric had a hard time keeping his temper under control. He would’ve loved to flatten his boss, but a vicious kick against his ankle from Orlando made him clench his fists and bite his tongue._

_“They’ll want you to prove your loyalty…”_

_“And?” Eric asked a little hostile._

_“Oblige them.”_

_Eric raised his eyebrows. “Just like that?”_

_“This might be the most important case you will ever work on, Bana.”_

 

But nothing… absolutely NOTHING had been worth what he’d had to do.

He was hauled out of the van and shoved into the police station. Inside the treatment changed, and with a detour to his desk, he was guided to the Commissioner’s office. 

“Bana?” The Commissioner looked up when he walked in. “Congratulations, good job, we managed to get the whole cell.”

Eric didn’t react to the man’s words, he threw his badge on the Commissioner’s desk, put his weapon down next to it and said, “I resign.” He turned on his heel, left the office and walked straight out of the building, deliberately ignoring the calls behind him.

&&&

Orlando woke up in a hazy world. There was no pain, just cloudy vision and the desire to close his eyes again, which was exactly what he did.

 

The next time Orlando opened his eyes, things were less hazy and much more painful. He noticed a blur beside his bed and croaked. “Is he here?”

A glass of water and straw appeared in front of him and he was given a drink before given an answer, so he tried again. “Karl?”

“No… I’m sorry. He resigned and disappeared off the radar.”

Orlando sighed. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Karl agreed. “Got any ideas where I might find him?”

Orlando felt his eyes drift closed of their own accord, but managed to give Karl the answer he needed. “There are a few numbers on my mobile you could try…”

Karl knew where to find his mobile.

Karl stood, ready to leave. With great effort Orlando opened his eyes again and grabbed Karl’s wrist. “For _my_ benefit, Karl, nobody else’s!”

“Understood,” Karl nodded. He smiled as Orlando’s eyes closed despite his efforts to keep them open and he gently put Orlando’s hand back on the bed. 

“I’ll find him,” he promised.

&&&

Someone sat down beside him on the park bench and Eric sighed. “Why are you here, Karl?”

Karl stretched his legs in front of him. “Can’t you guess? He needs you!”

Eric shook his head. “He doesn’t need me. I’m the one who crippled him for life for God’s sake!” 

Karl slowly turned his head. “If he’s not holding it against you, then why do you?”

“Because it shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t worth it.” Eric said vehemently.

“Orlando doesn’t agree. Blanchett was taken down, she spilled the beans on both the European and American cells. A lot of lives have been saved because you did this.”

Eric once again felt his anger rising. “So ruining one man’s life is acceptable because many others are saved? And _I_ have to learn how to live with the knowledge that I’m responsible for that!”

“Nobody said it was going to be easy, Eric, but don’t let Orlando be the victim because you’re blaming yourself.” Karl patted his shoulder and then left. 

Eric buried his face in his hands, the feeling of guilt overwhelming him.

Maybe he should go and see Orlando one last time and apologise. 

Apologise – how the hell did you say sorry for destroying someone’s life?

&&&

Eric’s hands trembled as he pushed the door of the rehabilitation centre open. It had taken a few more weeks before he'd finally gathered his courage to go and see Orlando.

A nurse showed him into a room and said she would get Orlando for him. 

He hardly dared to look up when the door opened, and the devastation he felt at seeing his partner… his lover… crushed him completely. His leg in a brace, a cane to keep his balance, pale and gaunt…

Eric didn’t notice the tears that slid down his face, all he felt was an immense guilt for what he had done. 

He sank to his knees, his legs unable to hold him up any longer. “I should beg for your forgiveness, but I understand if you are unable to forgive me.” His voice broke as he spoke to Orlando for the first time since that horrible day.

Fingers carded through his hair and caressed the side of his face. “Please, stand up Eric. I need you to hold me.” Orlando’s voice was unsteady and sad.

Eric climbed shakily to his feet, wanting to reach out, but afraid he would be rejected. 

“Please hold me,” Orlando begged. “Please, don’t push me away.”

Hesitantly Eric reached out, overwhelmed that Orlando still wanted his touch and he pulled the smaller man into his arms, relieved when Orlando’s arms circled his waist in a tight hold. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into the dark curls beneath his chin. “I’m so, so sorry. There’s nothing I can do to make it up to you. I just hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me.” 

“We’re stronger than this, Eric,” Orlando murmured. “We can get through this, together, just don’t leave me alone again.”

Eric’s arms tightened around his lover. “I promise, I won’t ever leave you again.”

The End 


End file.
